Actress charged with assaulting girl at Dubai resort

Dubai - Both the actress and her sister denied in court physical assault and verbal abuse charges.

An Egyptian actress, involved in a physical assault case against an American tourist and his family in Dubai, has been charged additionally with assaulting his 12-year-old daughter.
Representing the family, lawyer Awatif Mohammed from Al Rowad Advocates Office had requested the court to level the additional charge against the 38-year-old actress Zeina. She argued that the incident was witnessed by a customer at a restaurant at the 5-star resort. Her demands included that the witness be summoned for testimony.
She earlier argued before the Court of Misdemeanors that the American tourist couple's daughter was left with injuries due to the incident, and said that was shown in a medical report. The lawyer added that there was no evidence that any of her client's family members responded in a similar manner.
In the last hearing held in March, a charge of a breach of the actress' privacy was dismissed after no photos or videos of Zeina could be found in the American woman and daughter's mobile phones.
No such photos or footage were also found to have been removed, as per experts' technical report.
The actress and her 41-year-old sister had been referred to court for the incident that took place on June 29, last year. She allegedly got physical with the Arab-American family over taking photos of her without her approval at the resort. She claimed their daughter took them. A case was later registered at Al Barsha police station. Both the actress and her sister denied in court physical assault and verbal abuse charges. 
Both parties have levelled cases against each other.
The tourist, who is also facing a physical assault charge in the case, pleaded not guilty. His wife is equally accused.
mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai